At the heart of Governor Sebelius’administration is a commitment to making state government smarter，more efficient，and more accountable（应负责的，有责任的）to the people of Kansas than ever before．In just the first few weeks of her term，Governor Sebelius launched an extraordinary effort to uncover（揭开）wasteful government spending－yielding more than 100million so far in cost savings（储蓄）and new efficiencies．That fiscally disciplined approach continues today．
Governor Sebelius’dedication to fiscal responsibility（财政责任）is matched only by her determination to ensure a quality education for every Kansas child．
Because strong public schools are the foundation of a stronger Kansas economy，Governor Sebelius will continue working to enhance（提高）and improve public education—starting with pre－school，through high school and higher education．Governor Sebelius’guiding principle（指导原则）is that，when it comes to education and Kansas’future，simply doing better just isn’t good enough．
From streamlining government，to strengthening public education－growing the Kansas economy，to lowering the cost of health care－as Governor，Kathleen Sebelius is putting the interests of the people of Kansas ahead of anything else．
Kathleen Sebelius has been married to her husband，Gary，a federal magistrate（地方官员）judge，for 30years．They have two grown sons：Ned，age 23and John，age 20．Both Sebelius boys are products of the Topeka public school system，pre－Kindergarten（幼儿园）through high school．Ned is a May，2003college graduate，and John is currently a college junior．
State Bird州鸟
野云雀在获得堪萨斯州超过121，000学生的投票表决后成为本州州鸟。选举结果由堪萨斯州Audubon组织秘书长Madelaine Aaron整理得出的。投票结果：野云雀获得43，895票，而处于第二、第三的落选者分别是鹑和红衣雀。野云雀的特别之处就在于：在它黄色胸部有长有一个黑色的“V”。
The Western Meadowlark became the state bird of Kansas after a vote by over 121，000school children．The election was coordinated（整理）by Madelaine Aaron，who was then the secretary of the Kansas Audubon Society．43，895votes were cast for the Western Meadowlark and the second and third place finishers were the Bobwhite and the Cardinal．
The western meadowlark is about nine inches long．It has a brown and black back and wings and a bright yellow chest（胸膛）with a black V on it．The meadowlark’s colors may be a little duller in winter．It has a long pointed bill．The western meadowlark is very similar to the eastern meadowlark．The western meadowlark’s yellow color extends a little further onto its cheek．The songs of the two meadowlarks are the easiest way to tell them apart．The song of the western meadowlark is a series of flute－like gurgling notes that go down the scale．The eastern meadowlark’s call is a simpler series of whistles．
The Western’s Meadowlarks song is complex，garbled and abrupt（生硬的）．Males commonly use fence posts as perches while singing．They will sing to stake out（置于警察监视下）a breeding territory which averages 7acres in size but may vary from 3to 15acres．The males will have more than one mate．Up to three females may nest within its territory．
Meadowlarks are ground nesters．They weave dried grasses into a bowl shape，typically within a larger grass clump（丛生）for shelter and camouflage（伪装）．An average of 5eggs are laid and they may have two clutches per year．The eggs are white with brown and lavender（淡紫色的）spots concentrated at the wider end．Incubation（孵蛋）takes two weeks and the young are full grown 6weeks after hatching．The young have some black spots on their breast but do not develop the distinctive black “V”until the fall molt（换毛）．Nesting and brood－rearing chores are done primarily by the female，although the male may help feed the young．
The majority of their food during the growing season is insects，spiders and other small invertebrates（无脊椎动物）．Some seeds are eaten also，and that becomes the bulk of their food in the winter．During winter meadowlarks will form into flocks of up to a few hundred individuals which are often seen foraging in fields and pastures（牧地，牧场）．
Here is the identification：
1．8．5inches length
2．Sharply－pointed bill
3．Buff and brown head stripes
4．Yellow underparts with black “V”on breast
5．White flanks with black streaks
6．Brown upperparts with black streaks
7．Brown tail with white outer tail feathers
8．Juvenile and winter plumages somewhat duller
9．Frequents open habitats
The meadowlark’s diet is mostly insects like caterpillars（毛虫）and grasshoppers（蝗虫），although it will sometimes eat seeds．
The western meadowlark lives in meadows，plains，prairies and other open grasslands．
The Eastern Meadowlark is very similar to the Western Meadowlark．Where their ranges overlap［（与……）交迭］，they are best separated by voice．Western Meadowlark has yellow throat extending slightly farther into face than Eastern．Male Dickcissel is much smaller with a conical bill and lacks white in the tail．
State Flower州花
在9月大平原的田野和路边大片的向日葵和秋麒麟就会招徕授粉的昆虫。其实太阳花在7月就开始开放，只是它们不会像9月的会那么引人注目。堪萨斯州记载有11种向日葵。它们大多是常年生长的，只有普通向日葵和草原向日葵是一年一生的。向日葵种群识别非常复杂，它们常常是杂交的，有很高的可变性。然而，最普通的种群却容易识别。向日葵在1903年成为堪萨斯州州花。
In September the fields and roadsides of the Great Plains erupt in a blaze of yellow as the sunflowers and goldenrods（［植］秋麒麟草属植物）（also members of the sunflower family）make their presence known to the local pollinating（对……授粉）insects．While many sunflower species may begin blooming in July，they are not as noticeable（显而易见的，值得注意的）then as later on when they have grown up and over the surrounding vegetation（［植］植被）．There are eleven species of sunflower recorded from Kansas．Most of them are perennials（四季不断的，终年的）．Only the common sunflower and H．petiolaris，the Prairie Sunflower，are annuals．Identification of sunflowers can be very complicated because they frequently hybridize（（使）杂交）and even within species there is a high degree of variability（可变性）．With a little practice，however，the most common species can be readily recognized．
